Flooring and component parts thereof



April 14, 1931. w, B, WLLER I 1,800,952

FLOORING AND COMPONENT PARTS THEREOF Filed Dec. 2. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ld] /y/ /57/ f/Z/ 4/ .TMs/:e i

l l--z Aril 14, 1931.

W. B. MILLER FLOORING AND COMPONENT P'ARTS THEREOF Filed Dec. 2, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Mum lmh.

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Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orties WILLIAM B. MILLER, OFLAKEWOOD, OHIO FLOORING AND COMPONENT @ARTS THEREOF Application filedDecember 2, 1927. Serial No. 237,277.

nianrnfactured and commercially installed individual tiles and aflooring` composed there of. rEhe specific disclosures herein areembraced by the language of the broadest claims, which have been allowedin my copendinp,I appli-cation tiled Aprile, i925, Serial No. 20,662.

What have come to be known as steel joists are steadily coming intofavor, because oi less weight than solid concrete. A great many types ofsteel joists are on the market, but the use of all of tiem has involveddisadvantages, amen,r which are:

(l) The necessity of having wire mesh supported thereby in order toprovide a plasteringl surface to constitute a ceiling', and which notonly involves the labor oi attachingl the screen or mesh, but the addeddiliculty of layingl the plaster', because of the yielding` action orthe screen. Frequently repeated, often three, plastering operati-ons arerequired.

(2) The practice heretofore, when using 'fabricated steel joists, hasleft the spaces between joists unoccupied, which acts as a sort oi soundbox and causes an increase in noise, frequently to a disturbing andunpleasant degree. Also, when the space between joists is left vacantthe fabricated steel joists are necessarily lett exposed to moisture andhence become subject to deterioration or danger accomplished by rusting.Rusting inevitably occurs in such construction in the event of thecondensation or leaking of any water or steam pipe.

This invention proposes the use with steel `ioists of iloor elements orslabs, preferably hollow tiles, which are fashioned with flanges, lugsor shoulders adapted to rest either upon the joisls or on elementscarried directly or indirectly by the joists and which tiles havedepending;r portions adapted collectively to be suspended and .tosubstantially fill the spaces between alined joists, thereby providing;both an un'derl'loor surface and a ceiling-plasteringg` surface. Thetile elements may be laid in many diiierent'ways, the preferred. form,`exemplified bythe drawings, showing alternate tile oi' `any one row(between an adjacent pair of joists) suspended across and by the topsoli a pair of joists together with what may be termed sollit clips whichareV fashioned with lateral flanges adapted to rest upon depressedledges of the staggered -joist-suspended tiles occupying distinct rowson opposite sides of any particular joist while correspondingly `spaced`yet relatively staggered sections of the llanges support downwardlypresented s l'roulders of diliierently shaped clip-suspended tiles whicharefalternately arrangedinfthe same pair of rows on opposite sides ofthe same joist. The clips not only support half the tiles, but byextending' underneath the joists also serve to complete the ceiling tobe plastered and toserv'e as bottoms for the interstices to be filled bythe grouted material.

Furthermore, my object has been to originate a flooring scheme whichwill, (a) require no shoring, (Zn) provide a solid surface upon which tospread the ceiling plaster, (c) increase the speed of erection, (d)reduce the cost ol plastering, and (e) shorten the time interval priorto undertaking` dillerent work because the newlyl laid flo-or surface isimmediately available for walking even before being' grouted. Added tothe above,` my invention presents the advantage of less weight,protection to steel joists and as a noise insulation. l

I realize that the scope of myinvention coinprehends manyequivalentconstructions. ri'Che showingr of thedrawingsand theparticular description are merely specific exemplilications of aplurality of mechanical e1n bodiments and arrangements. The inventionmay be applied to roofs, bridges, any kind of deck or other form of roomcovering.

Adverting-to the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a portionof a flooring showingi-` a series of my dierent tiles assembled andassociated by indurated material with joists and other cooperatingelements. Figure 2 is a perspective view of one kind of tile used.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of anotherl shape of tile used.

Figure 4' is a perspectiveview of'a soiiit clip or channel equa-l inlength to a series of tiles. Y Figures 5 and 6 are broken views ofmodified forms of so-iiit clips.

Figure 7 is an enlargedvertical section through three joists and tworows of tiles ywith differing tiles alternately arranged in each row andshowing how the tiles of one kind are supported on the joists, how theclips are supported on the joist-supported bing or fabricated tie 3. Thejoists are preferably held suitably .spaced by crosswiseextending tieWires which are looped about each joist, as designated by the numeral5,'

thereby preventing any pair ofjoists fromspreading apart'duringimplacement ofthe tiles therebetween. Vl

My invention comprehends the employment of two differently shaped tilesof which one series, designated by thenumeral 6, in-

cludes at two upper corners a pair of oppo-V sitely projecting flanges7, each of which is adapted to rest upon` a top section ofcorresponding'length of one of the joists. The correspondingly locateddownwardly converging side walls 8 are rabbeted at 9 in a manner commonto the 'art' of tile manufacture and for the purpose of insuring afirmer adhesion of the induratable'material to be grouted thereagainst.Thebottom surfaces of the tiles 6 are also rabbeted at 10.V and to thedove-tail form shown in order firmly Yto hold the. ceiling plaster. Alsoprojecting from the lower corners of the tiles 6 and fromthesame pairofoppositely disposed sides 8 are flangesll which willekercise thefunction of ledges, as .will be subsequently explainedl Y After thejoists areV mounted in" position and their equispaced relationtemporarily maintained by tie wires l, the tiles 6 are in-V sertedbetween thev joists until their upper flanges 7 gravitationally restupon the tops of an adjacent pair of'joists respectively, the shorterdistance between theborders of the anges 11 readily permitting suchinsertion It will beobserved, that the tiles 6 are arf corners laterallyinterlapping and contiguous. As so hung, in staggered relation, theupper surfaces of the flanges 11 will be disposed somewhat lower thanthe bottoms 2 of Y the joists and with the flanges 11 of the tilesl 6,which constitute two rows of spaced tiles on two sides Vof a particularjoist, located `first on onek side of the joist` and-then on thevotherin a progression lengthwise of the joists.

Soiht clips 112 ofthe general type shown in Figure t are preferably longenough to eX- tend along the aggregate lengthof la plurality of tiles orthey may, ifdesired, be substantially the same length as the joistsunder which Y they are intended tobehung. The clips include a middlesection 13` which is relatively depressed andlaterally fashioned withholes 13a. The bottom ofthe middle section 13 is adapted to constitute astrip, the under surface of which willbe disposed at about vthe sameelevation as the 'bottoms ofthe tiles 6 when the continuous oppositelyprojecting gered portions of the flanges 14 and 15, the

soflt clipswill bedirectly underneath the joistsfand exercise the soifitfunction of closing the gaps or interstices between tiles adjoining in acrosswise direction, as clearly shown in Figure 1 where ceiling plaster16is also illustrated as applied.`

Figure 5 shows a modification in the design of clip by reason of themiddle portion 17 being defined by sidewalls which converge upwardlyinstead of'downwardly.- Figure 6 is a further modification in the designof clip wherein the middle section includes a raised portion 18 ofrelativelyinverted shape with reference tothe middle portion 16 thoughsomewhat smaller and adapted to be filled by` 'pairof joists and suchsupports will carry tiles of different shape to be now described.

The differing tiles 19, shown `in Figure 3,

are smaller overall and appear to be of rela-l tively inverted shapeasto their bodies because the side walls 20 thereof converge in an upwarddirection instead of ,in a downward direction as do the side walls 8 ofthe tiles 6. The lower corners are recessed at 21 in a direction alongthe walls 2O to form downwardly directed shoulders 22 which are spacedapart a suitable distance so that when the tiles 19 are inserted, onebetween each adjacent pair of the tiles 6 in any particular row, theshoulders 22 thereof will rest upon portions of the top surfaces of theflanges 14 and 15 of' a pair of the clips. Near the tops of the sidewalls 20 linger grooves 23 are provided to facilitate manipulationduring their insertion.

After the two differing kinds of tile or flooring elements are arrangedin the posit-ion explained and shown in Figure 1 an induratable material24 is grouted in between the tiles to fill the depressed middle section13 of the soffit clips, to cover staggered top sections of the flanges111 and 15 of each clip, to imbed the joists and in fact entirely tofill the interstices or spaces between the joists, after which the uppersurface of the grouted terial is tamped and leveled flush with the uppersurfaces of the tiles to provide, when the material 211 has become set,a level floor surface which may, in some instances, constitute the finalor finishing tread surface of a flooring having a rather attractivepattern.

Manifestly, the `finished flooring will be a firmly unified effectivelyintegral and selfsustaining structure which is not dependent upon archaction and which is variously interlocked. @ne of the features of meritof my invention is the economy of flooring erection both by reason ofthe avoidance of need of any scaffolding or shoring and by reason of thesaving in time. As soon as any tile 6 is put in place the workman maystand thereon to implace another and after all the tile 6 are properlyarranged and the clips laid on the flanges thereof, the tiles 19 maybeinserted following which the grouting material may be spread in anyapproved manner, including the use of wheelbarrows traveling' over thetiles.

This invention has been installed in a building with pronouncedcommercial success, at considerable saving in both time and moneyindependent of each other while producing a flooring superior for thereasons earlier set forth.

The side walls of the clips 12 are preferably made to diverge in anupward direction to facilitate a temporary telescopic arrange ment to beeffected when the tile laying procedure approaches nearer one wall thanthe length of any particular clip and in conse-` quence when it would beimpossible slidably to insert the last series of clips for extendingperpendicularly to such wall with one end of each adjacent or in contacttherewith. Accordingly, I insert two telescopically fitted clips undereach joist While that pair of tiles 6, on opposite sides of a particularjoist and nearest the wall which is being approached, are still spacedtherefrom a distance greater than the length of one clip. After the twoclips are together `resting upon the top surfaces of' the flanges 11,the upper one may be readily slid toward the wall being approached. Theend of the clip immediately adjacent the wall which the floor isapproaching has proven stiff enough to act as a cantilever support.

1. In a flooring, the combination of par* allel supporting elementsandfloor-constituting pieces, each having' marginal recesses at the bottomof opposite sides to receive edges of said supporting elementsrespectively, joists, and other floor-constituting pieces carried bysaid joists and in turn carrying said j elements.

i 2. In a flooring, the combination of parallel supporting elements andtiles, each having marginal recesses at the bottom of opposite sides toreceive edges of said supporting elements respectively, parallel joists,and other tilesk suspended from said joists and fashioned neartheirbottoms with ledges on which said elements rest. i

` 3. In a flooring the combination of spaced joists, one set of tilessuspended from the tops of a plurality of said joists, soifit clipssuspended from a plurality ofl said tiles, and another set of tilessuspended by said clips and alternately arranged together with saidfirst mentioned set of tiles between said joists and extending from the`top to the bottom of the latter. 1

4. In a flooring, the combination of spaced joists, Vtiles providedalong opposite top edges with flanges resting upon a plurality' of saidjoists, sofiit clips provided along opposite edges with flangesresting'upon a plurality of said tiles, and tiles provided alongopposite lower edges with recesses occupied by correspondingly locatedsections of said clip anges.

5. In a flooring, the combination of spaced joists, tilesprovided alongopposite top edges with flanges resting upon a plurality of said joistsandalso provided along opposite bottom edges with ledges, sofiit clipsprovided along opposite edges with flanges resting upon the ledges of aplurality of said tiles, and different tiles provided along oppositelower edges with recesses occupied by correspondingly located j sectionsof said clip flanges, the tiles of one kind being alternately arrangedwith those of the other kind in any one row between a pair of adjacent joists.

6. A tile havingoppositely disposed upwardly diverging sides, saidtilebeing pro` vided at both top and bottom and onopposite sides withanges, the opposed sides of said flanges being adapted to rest upon andto sustain edges of two different initial supports respectively. 7 In acomposite structure the combinationl of vtiles -each having bodyportions of progressivelyvarying size in one direction and collectivelyarranged with some in relatively inverted positions, means forgravitationally supporting said tiles in such arrangement anindurated'material for binding the tiles and said meanstogether.

8. In a flooring the combinationof rows of tiles some having bodyportions of progressively smaller size in one direction and othershaving body portions ofV progressively smaller size in the oppositedirection both kinds of said tiles being fashioned with recesses onsides opposed in a direction crosswise of said rows and means occupyingsaid recesses for supporting said tiles in such arrangement.

" 9. In a flooring the combination of tiles some having body portions ofprogressively smaller size in one direction and others having bodyportions of progressively smaller size in the opposite direction, saidtiles being spaced apart in one direction and contiguous in a relativelyvtransverse l direction and a structure including elements one of` whichcontacts each offsaid'tiles whereby directly to lsupport them. x

10. In a flooring the combination of tiles each having body portions ofprogressively varying sizein one direction and said tiles being spacedapart in one direction and contiguous in a relatively transversedirection, a supporting structure forvsaid tiles and indurated materialoccupying the interstices'between said tiles and contacting portions ofsaid structure. Y

.11. In a room covering adapted to be carried by a plurality of joists,tiles provided with flanges resting on adjacent joists and said tilesbeing arranged as a spaced row between each pair of said joists, thelower corners of said tiles being fashioned as ledges, clips restingupon the ledges oftiles of different rows on opposite sides of anyparticu-5 lar joist, and other tiles adapted for staggered insertion inthe spaces lbetween"sa-idvfirst mentioned tiles Vand Vsuch othertilesbeing provided with shoulders resting on correspondingly locatedsections ofrsaidclips.

12. In a flooring adapted to be carried by a plurality of j oists, tilesAprovided with flanges Aresting on adjacent joistsy and said tiles beingarranged as a spaced row between each pair of said joist-s, the lowercorners of said tiles being fashioned as ledges, clips resting upon theledges of tiles of different rows on opposite sides of any particularjoist,

other tiles adapted for staggered insertion in the spaces between saidfirst mentioned tiles and such other tiles being provided with shouldersresting oncorrespondingly locatedj sections of said-clips, one group ofsaid tiles being ofsmaller size at their upper endsl Asupports andtherest by said auxiliary supsaid tiles being alternately arrangedwhereby rto provideentries for groutingmaterial adapted to set againstall the elements.

13. In a door, differing tiles of whichlike tiles are laid in diagonalrows, onekind of said tiles laterally lapping and contiguous at cornersthereof and with their upper surfaces substantially fiush and yinduratedmaterial for maintaining the tiles in such position.

14. A iiooring comprising two dierent kinds of supports inY superposedvspaced ,-relation, diierent kinds of tiles carried some by one kind ofsupport and some by vthe-other kind of support, said-tiles ofonekindeach having a pair of upwardly diverging oppositely disposed sidewalls while the tiles of therother kind eachhas a pair of upwardly vconverging side walls, tiles of one kndfbeing staggered, some of saidsupports closing the lower ends of the spaces between opposed sides oftiles and groutng material filled in said spaces. r j,

15. In a flooring, thegcombinationof primary and auxiliary supports,`differently shaped tiles carried some by said primary ports, in rows andthe tops of one vshape oftiles beinglarger measured crosswise of afrowthan the tops ofthey other shape of. tiles whereby gaps are provided andindurated material filling said gaps.V

16. In combination,- parallellyspaced-supports, tiles hung 4inpredetermined, relation with respect to said supports, elements hungfrom said tiles, tiles including upper finishing surfacesandgravitationally resting in predetermined separated arrangementv uponsaid elements and a'filling materialV occupying interstices providedbetween said ele- Yments and tiles. j

17. Incombinatiom-primary supportsparallelly spaced, elements hung inpredeterminedrelation with respect to said supports, clips hung fromsaid floor-composing pieces including upper tread surfaces and gravita-`tionally resting in predetermined separated arrangement upon said clipsand induratablel material occupying interstices provided be-f tween saidelements, clips fand-pieces whereby tounify the structure. f

18. A` self-supporting floor structure adapted to span the distancebetween a plurality of joists, comprising the combination.

f of spaced substantially parallel joists, a s eries of tiles havingflanges resting upon said joists in predetermined regularly spacedrelation, each of said tiles including a top surface adapted to occupy.a portion of theztop-Y of the composite structure and also including`projections having surfaces disposed at a lower elevation than saidfirst mentioned surfaces of said elements, a'seriesof clips resting uponsaid surfaces of ylower elevation, .an-l other series of tiles havingshoulders resting upon said clips and likewise each including a surfaceadapted to occupy the top portion of a delining plane of the compositestructure and grouting material filled in the interstices providedbetween said differing kinds of elements and adapted to constitutecomplemental portions of one of the defining planes of said compositestructure.

19. In a flooring, the combination of a plurality of spaced parallellyextending supports, elements all arranged between said supports and eachprovided on two opposite sides with flanges, each of said flangesresting upon one of said supports, some of said elements having sidewall portions recessed alongside of said supports whereby to providegaps and grouting material filling said gaps to unify the entirestructure.

20. In a deck, the combination of dillerent kinds of supports, differentkinds of decksurfacing elements some being carried laterally by one kindof said supports and others being carried laterally by another kind ofsaid supports, said elements being alternately arranged in rowsextending parallel with and between both kinds of said supports andhaving their sides deiining in conjunction with said supports a seriesof gaps in the deck surface and grouting material occupying andindurated in said gaps for unifying the entire structure.

2l. In a composite structure the combination of tiles each having bodyportions oit' progressively varying size in one direction andcollectively arranged in rows with alternate ones in some rows inrelatively inverted positions and means extending parallel with saidrows for gravitationally supporting said tiles in such arrangement.

22. In a flooring the combination of rows of different kinds of tilesalternately arranged in each of a plurality of relatively transversehorizontally disposed rows, some having body portions of progressivelysmaller size from top to bottom and others having body portions oprogressively smaller size in the opposite direction, said tiles in eachof one group of parallel rows being spaced apart crosswise of said rows,a supporting structure for said tiles and wholly disposed within thecontines of the planes of the tops and bottoms thereof and groutingmaterial between said spaced tiles and interlocked with said structuresto embed the latter.

23. In a room-covering structure, two different kinds of supportsparallelly arranged, different kinds of elements alternately arranged ineach of adjacent rows extending along said supports, the elements of onekind being staggered with respect to like elements in an adjacent row,the elements of one kind being gravitationally carried by one kind ofsupports and the elements of the other kind by the other kind ofsupports, the planes of the side walls of adjacent elements in each rowintersecting each other at a predetermined angle to provide peculiarlycommunieating gaps between the tiles, and grouting material occupyingsaid gaps.

24.( In combination, primary parallelly spaced supports, elements hungfrom said supports, a structure including pieces gravitationally carriedby adjacent pairs of said elements so as to be arranged in a row betweensaid supports, said pieces furthermore spaced from said supports andindurated material in the spaces between said supports and pieces. i j y25. In a flooring, the combination of parallel supporting joists, tilesresting directly thereon, parallel auxiliary supporting elements restingdirectly upon said tiles and located underneath said joists and tilesdiierently shaped than said first mentioned tiles and each havingmarginal recesses near the bottom of opposite sides to receive edges ofsaid auxiliary supporting elements respectively, whereby said lastmentioned tiles are directly supported by said elements.

26. In a flooring, the combination of a plurality of primary-supportingjoists, one set of floor elements resting directly upon adjacent pairsof said joists, auxiliary supports positioned underneath said joists andresting directly upon certain of said floor elements which are disposedalong opposite sides of any particular j oist and a second set of floorelements each having marginal recesses at the bottom of two sides whichare opposed crosswise of the direction of parallelism of said joists,said recesses being adapted to receive edges of said auxiliary supportswhereby said second set of floor elements are directly supportedthereby.

27. In combination, primary parallelly spaced supports, pairs ofrelatively diierent kinds of auxiliary supporting elements of which onekind are directly hung from said primary supports and of which the otherkind are directly hung from the first mentioned kind, a structureincluding pieces gravitationally resting upon adjacent pairs of saidsecond mentioned kind of auxiliary supporting elements and so as to bearranged alternately with said first mentioned kind in rows between saidprimary supports, said pieces in their entirety being spaced from saidprimary supports and indurated material in the spaces between saidprimary supports and pieces and also between said primary supports andboth kinds of auxiliary supporting elements. j

Sgned by me, this 10th day of November, 192

WILLIAM B. MILLER.

